If you like to learn by seeing then this step by step video tutorial is for you! Let me walk you through the steps I use to paint a pine tree as I paint along beside you!
Pine Tree Painting- a Watercolor Tutorial
This fun little watercolor video tutorial will have you painting pretty pine trees in under ten minutes! Grab your watercolor paints and follow along!
No matter the kind of art you’re making it’s always helpful to set the stage for your art making and have everything you need ready! In this case you’ll need a set of watercolor paints. When I’m buying for large class use I usually stick with basic Crayola cake watercolors. The colors are nice and bright and clean and the price cannot be beat. The watercolors you see in the pictures below are my own personal set. They are still student grade (and price) but the many color choices make them so fun to use! You can find my watercolors here!
My paint set comes with a built in palette for mixing colors. You can use the lid of your paint set or grab an extra plate to use to mix your colors!
You’ll need a soft paint brush, midsize will do. And you’ll also want to have a paper towel or rag handy for blotting excess water.
It’s always preferable to use watercolors on real watercolor paper. It’s heavier, so it can handle the water that comes along with watercolor painting. And it has a nice texture, or tooth, to the paper that’s different than painting on card stock. Student grade watercolor paper isn’t so expensive and it makes the painting process that much more special! If you don’t have watercolor paper though, card stock is the next best thing!
How to start your pine tree painting…
Imagine your pine tree as a cone. A cone is a three dimensional form that is a circle at it’s base but comes to a point at the top. Start painting at the top of your pine tree- the smallest part. Imagine that you’re breaking the form of the cone down into a bunch of imperfect rows of branches.
The first row of pine tree branches is basically just a tiny splash of color. Each row gets just a tiny bit wider. A few rows in you should start to see that triangular shape forming.
Painting your pine tree…
Each row of branches is an up and down “scribble” of the paintbrush. Because you’re working with watercolor paints it’s important to always keep plenty of water on your brush, as well as color. If the brush begins to look “frayed” on the end and the bristles go different direction be sure to add a little water to your process.
Each time you add more color to the brush play a little with adding a bit of a new color. The water will help the shades and tints blend together and your tree will look more realistic and interesting if it’s not one flat color.
Watercolor Pine Trees
Level: Easy
What You Need
1. Mix Your Color
Combine Phthalo green and ivory black to get a dark green.
2. Paint the Top of the Tree
Starting at the top of your watercolor paper, paint a thin, short line down. This is the top of the tree.
Paint some short branches just below the top of the tree. First, place a loaded brush near the top of the tree, then sweep your brush slightly down and out, curving back up a little at the ends. Do this on each side of the tree, painting branches a short distance down the tree but staying well above the middle. Think about making a triangle shape with a little flare at the ends.
3. Fill in More Branches
Work your way down the tree in sections, making each series of branches a little longer than the ones above. Leave some space between sections. Pine trees look more realistic if they’re not packed with branches all the way down.
Make sure to add some branches around the trunk of the tree too. Vary the direction and thickness.
4. Create the Trunk
Paint a short, thick line at the bottom for the trunk.
Create a Value Scale
It helps to create a value scale on a scrap piece of watercolor paper before you start painting an entire forest. Keep it and use it as a reference as you paint, to keep your values on track.
To make a value scale, divide your paper into three equal sections. In the first section, paint a very light wash . In the second section, paint a medium wash and in the third, paint a dark wash. Let all the areas dry.
Now Paint Your Forest
1. Start With the Light Wash
Using the first and lightest value from your scale, paint a row of trees. These trees should be so subtle, they’re barely visible. Start these trees near the top of your paper and end them somewhere in the bottom third. Let dry.
2. Go to Your Medium Wash
Using your middle value, paint another row of trees on top of the first row. This row is darker and should stand out against the lighter first row. Start the tops of these trees slightly below the tops of the first row, and end the trees near the bottom of the paper. Let dry.
3. Finish With Your Dark Wash
Using your darkest value, paint a third row of trees on top of the first two, with the tops starting below the tops of the second row. This row should be much darker than the other two rows and will stand out. Paint these trees all the way down to the bottom of the paper.
And… there’s your pine forest. Stare at it and daydream about winter wonderlands, or get to work painting the next pine forest, and the next.
Looking to get started with watercolors? Check out the class Startup Library: Watercolors below!
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